Pin distributor



A. J. ALBRECHT PIN DISTRIBUTOR Dec. 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1958 INVENTOR.

Dec. 26, 1961 A. J. ALBRECHT 3,015,049

PIN DISTRIBUTOR Filed Dec. 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR. /m, W 54444, W

3,015,049 PEN DISTRHBUTOR Alexander J. Albrecht, West Englewood, N.J., assignor to The Brunswick Automatic Pinsetter Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 782,225 12 Claims. (Cl. 273- 43) This invention relates to a mechanism for handling bowling pins in automatic pinsetter equipment.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a new and improved pin distributing mechanism of the type described.

Another object is to provide a new and improved pin distributor for taking pins one at a time from a cross conveyor and distributing the same to a triangular deck.

A further object is to provide a new and improved pin distributor including a rotatably indexable pin distributing pan having a chute directed downwardly and laterally to one side of the axis of rotation for passing pins base first one at a time to pin positions spaced about the axis of rotation, and a pin positioner rotatable about the pan and engageable with the head of a pin in the pan to turn the pin in the pan to pass base first down the chute.

A primary advantage of the pin distributor of this invention lies in the reduction of weight in the moving masses and a consequent increase of speed enabled by reducing weights.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pin distributing mechanism embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken at about the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the pin distributing mechanism of this invention is intended for use in automatic pinsetter equipment of the type includin a suitable means (not shown) for gathering pins in the pit of a bowling alley and lifting. the pins to a suitable height for delivery to across conveyor 18 which conveys the pins to a pin distributor as at 11 for distributing the pins to a deck structure 12 which returns the pins to the alley preferably through the medium of a movable deck structure (not shown) disposed therebemonth and adapted for setting the pins in playing position on the alley bed and also operative to lift the pins standing after a first ball has been rolled in a bowling game and then to reset such pins when the alley has been cleared of fallen pins and balls.

The cross conveyor may comprise a suitable conveyor frame 15 supporting a shaft 16 having a pair of rotatable belt pulleys 17 thereon carrying a pair of conveyor belts 13 suitably spaced and adapted to transport a bowling pin such as that illustratedin full lines at P with the pinlying on its side and engagedat the belly by the two conveyor belts so that the belts pull the pin base first with the head of the pin falling between the belts and dragging along the conveyor frame 15 or other suitable guide means. The conveyorframe 15 may be supported in a conventional fashion as, for example, by a ates atent cross rail (not shown) extending transversely over the alley and suitably supported at opposite ends by stationary frame structure not shown) immediately adjacent the alley pit in the general fashion illustrated in the pending application of William F. Huck and Alexander J. Albrecht, filed September 16, 1955 as Serial Number 534,726 and assigned to the assign-es of this application. The supporting frame structure (not shown) also may include suitable means for driving the belts 18 to advance the upper reaches thereof in a direction from left to right as viewed in the drawings.

Adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor 10, at about the level of the conveyor, the pin distributing pan i1 is positioned to receive the pins one at a time from the conveyor with the pins positioned substantially as illustrated in broken lines at P-l in H6. 2. The pan 11 is generally conically shaped with a curved outwardly turned flange 2% at the upper edge and as seen in FIG. 2 is of a size to receive a major portion of a pin including its base and belly, with the neck and head of the pin overhanging the edge of the pan. Near the bottom of the pan, adjacent one side, the pan is formed with a laterally and downwardly directed chute 21 adapted to pass a pin from the pan to a position disposed therebeneath. The chute is formed by means of an opening through the pan as at 22, and includes downwardly and laterally projecting tongue shaped guides at opposite sides of the opening as at 24 Thus, it will be seen that the pan i1 is adapted to receive a pin from the conveyor iii and direct the same downwardly toward the deck structure 12.

The pan it is rotatably indexable as by means of a shaft 26 (FIG. 3) secured thereto and projecting downwardly therefrom, the shaft being rotatable in a bearing 27 supported in a sleeve 23, and a bearing 29 in a supporting bracket 30. The pan is thereby indexable about the axis of the shaft 26 to direct the chute 21 toward a plurality (preferably ten, the number of pins used in bowling) of pin discharge positions equally spaced angularly in an annular pattern about the shaft 26 and the pan 11. In this fashion, the pin distributing pan is adapted to deliver successively, one at a time, the ten pins necessary to fill the triangular deck structure 12.

The pan is preferably indexable by means including a pulley 35 suitably affixed on the shaft and having a belt 36 passing therearound and passing also about a pulley positioned as at 37 on a shaft (not visible) suitably mounted in a gear box illustrated generally at 38. The gear box 38 may be supported as by the stationary frame structure (not shown) previously referred to, and a suitable means would be provided to drive the belt and pulley arrangement 35-37 to index the pan at the proper times through ten equal angular steps'in one revolution of the pan.

The bracket 39 supporting the shaft 26 and the pan 11 is preferably supported by a cross rail as at 33a which would be stationarily' mounted at opposite ends on the frame structure (not shown) previously referred to. The bracket 30 is secured to the cross rail by bolts as at 39.

The deck structure 12 comprises a stationary triangular plate dtihaving a plurality (preferably ten) of pin openings therethrough as at 41, the openings being arranged in a triangular pattern conforming to thepattern in which bowling pins are normally set on a bowling alley fora game of'bowling. The pin openings are of a size and shape adapted to permit passage of an upright pin therethrough from the upper side of the deck plate to the underside of the deck plate as the pin moves towardthe alley or a suitable movable pinsetting deck. Slidably mounted on the deck plate 4d is a movable deck plate in skeleton form including a'plurality of fiat spoons 43. respectively adapted to overlie the pin openings 41 in pin supporting positions obstructing the openings and movable rearwardly on the deck plate 4th to retracted positions not obstructing the openings 4?. and enabling passage of the pins through the plate openings.

The spoons 43 are preferably supported by and extended forwardly from a plurality of transversely extending bars 45, d6, 47 and 43. The bar 45 includes a spoon 43 adapted to overlie the #1 position; the bar as carries spoons overlying the #2 and #3 positions; the bar 47 carries spoons overlying the #4, #5 and #6 positions; and the bar 48 carries spoons overlying the #7, #8, #9 and #10 positions. The bars 45-48 are interconnected by forwardly and rearwardly extending bars 49 and 59 having rear ends connected to the cross bar 48, forward ends connected to the cross bar 45, and intermediate portions connected to the cross bars 46 and 47. The plate structure 455tl is preferably supported on the deck plate at; by means of the bars 45-48 which slide on the deck plate, and includes at least one downwardly projecting bracket 54 terminating beneath the deck plate 44} and having one end of a tension spring 55 anchored thereon. The opposite end of the spring 55 is anchored on a tab 56 projecting downwardly from the deck plate 4%, so that the spring is efiective to normally urge the pin supporting spoons 43 forwardly to the positions illustrated in the drawings. This position may be determined by the length of a slot (not visible) in deck plate 4t) through which the bracket 54 projects. Suitable mechanism (not shown) may be provided for moving the plate structure 43-5tl rearwardly at the proper time, after ten pins have been delivered to the deck structure 12, leaving the pin openings 41 unobstructed thereby to permit the pins to drop simultaneously.

The deck structure 12 is preferably supported by hanger rods having lower ends suitably secured to the stationary deck plate and including two such rods as at 60 and 61 having upper ends aflixed to the cross rail 38a, and one such rod 63 having an upper end secured to the gear box 33.

It will be understood that the pin delivery chute 21 of the pin distributing pan 11 moves in an annular path and is stopped at ten pin delivery positions in such path while the pin openings 41 in the deck 4% are arranged in a triangular pattern. In order to facilitate movement of the pins from the positions in the annular path of the chute 21 to the triangular pattern of the deck structure 12, suitable guide means is provided. The guide means includes a generally annularly shaped conically inclined guide 65 which, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, is disposed concentrically immediately beneath the pin distributing pan 11 and is supported by the bearing bracket 39 as at 66. The major portion of the guide 65, approximately of the circumference thereof, conforms to the regular frusto-conical shape seen in elevation in FIG. 2 and in section at the right-hand portion of FIG. 3, as the nine outer pin stations (all except the #5 pin) are disposed outwardly of the guide. The #5 pin position, however, is disposed almost directly beneath the shaft 26 of the pin distributing pan and in order to enable passage of a pin from the pan 11 to the #5 position on the deck 12, a fragmentary portion of the annular guide 65 is cut out as at 68 leaving a gap through which the #5 pin may pass as best illustrated in FIG. 3. In order to facilitate movement of this pin without striking the bearing bracket 30, the guide 65 includes a curved depending guide portion 69 which extends downwardly alongside the shaft 26, between the bearing bracket 34) and the #5 pin path.

Movement of the pins from the guide member 65 to the spoons 43 is facilitated by means of wire guide chutes, there being ten of these chutes leading respectively to the ten pin openings in the stationary plate 40. Each of the ten pin chutes includes a pair of opposed pin guiding channels. In the case of each of the nine outwardly disposed pin openings (all except the #5 position), the two opposed pin guiding channels comprise an inwardly disposed guiding channel between the pin opening 41 and the pan, as at 72, and an outwardly dis posed channel as at 73. in the case of the #5 pin opening, the channels include one channel rearwardly of the opening, as at 75, and one forwardly of the opening as at 76. In the case of the inwardly disposed channels 72 leading to the #1, #7 and #10 pin openings in the plate 45, each channel comprises three guide wires as at 72a, 72b and 72c, each having a lower end. on plate as and an upper end secured to the guide 65. The remaining inwardly disposed pin guiding channels 72 each cornprise a pair of parallel wires as at '72 and 72" having lower ends anchored in the deck plate iii and upper ends secured to the annular pin guide member 65. The pin guiding channels 73, 74 and 75 each include a pair of guide wires having lower ends secured to deck plate 46 and upper ends joined together as at 77.

The guide rod structure described, in the case of all the nine outwardly disposed pins (except the #5 pin) enables the pin to drop from the chute 22 onto the inwardly disposed guide channel '72 and slide downwardly in such channel until the lower end of the pin encounters the outwardly disposed guide 73 which then serves to direct the pin inwardly toward the pin opening 41. In the case of the guide channels leading to the #5 pin opening, the pin drops from the chute 21 onto the rearwardly disposed guide channel 75 as illustrated in broken lines at P2 in FIG. 3 with the base of the pin projecting through the wires and the belly of the pin encountering the guide wires which turn the pin downwardly as illustrated by the arrows A-1 and A-2 until the pin encoun ters the forwardly disposed guide channel 76 which serves to retain the pin in the upright position illustrated in full lines in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be noted that in operation pins travel base first from left to right on the conveyor 10 and into the pan 11 with the base of the pin disposed toward the right of the pan while the chute 21 through which the pin must pass is located at the left of the pan. After the pin is deposited in this fashion, it must be turned in the pan in order to align the pin base with the chute 21 so that the pin will move through the chute as illustrated at P2 in .FIG. 3. In order to facilitate alignment of the pin with the chute 21 for the purpose just described, the pan 11 is provided with a pin aligning guide in the form of a bracket 9112 having a lower end aflixed to the pan as at 91, a midportion 92 extending upwardly from the pan edge opposite the chute, and an outwardly and downwardly turned end portion 93 supporting a roller 94 engageable by the head of a pin to thereby align the pin base with the chute.

in order to turn a pin in the pan ill from the position P1 of FIG. 2 to a position enabling movement through the chute 21, a pin positioner mechanism is provided, including a bracket 96 having a lower end portion attached as at 97 to the upper end of sleeve 28 and thereby mounted for rotation on the shaft 26 so that the upper end portion of the bracket moves around the edge of the pan 11. The sleeve 28 is rotatably mounted as by a bearing 98 in the bracket 30 and a bearing 99 on the shaft 26. The sleeve 28 may be rotated by means of a pulley 101 secured to the lower end of the sleeve and having a belt 1G2 passing therearound and also passing about a pulley as at 103 supported on a shaft 104 in turn mounted in the gear box 38.

The upper end of the pin positioning bracket 96 is laterally directed in a counterclockwise direction as best seen at 96a in FIG. 1, and at the end thereof carries a downwardly extending pivoted lever 107 biased by a torsion spring 108 and carrying a roller 169. In operation, after a pin is disposed in the pan 11 as at P1, the bracket 96 is driven through a complete revolution from the position illustrated in the drawings in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, so that the roll r engages the head of the pin turning the head in the pan until such time as the head of the pin engages the stationary pin aligning roller 94 whereupon the roller 109 may yield against the bias of spring 1%. At this time, the base of the pin is aligned with the chute 21 to enable passage of the pin to the position P2, after which the bracket @6 continues rotation until returned to its starting position. a

After each pin drops through the chute 21, the pan is indexed revolution to position the chute to deposit the next pin prior to delivery of such pin to the pan, these steps being repeated until such time as the deck structure 12 supports ten pins, after which the spoons 43 are withdrawn to drop the pins.

it is contemplated that the distributing mechanism described would be provided in automatic pinsetter equipment including a control lever as at 112 pivoted on the conveyor frame 15 or on the gear box 38 and suitably connected to activate the pin positioner drive and the pan indexing mechanism, which in turn would automatically control operation of the spoons 43.

I claim:

1. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a frame, a conically shaped pin distributing pan having a cavity for receiving a bowling pin base down with the head of the pin overhanging the edge of the pan, said pan having a laterally and downwardly directed chute for passing a pin base first therethrough, means mounting the pan on the frame for indexing about an upright axis to pass pins one at a time to a plurality of positions angularly spaced about said axis, an upright pin aligning guide on edge of the pan opposite said chute engageable by the head of a pin in the pan to align the pin with the chute, a pin positioner arm rotatable around the pan and engageable with the head of a pin in the pan to turn the pin in the pan to engage the head of the pin with the guide thereby to align the pin to pass through the chute, means for indexing the pan, and means for rotating said arm.

2. A pin distributing mechanism as defined in claim 1 including, a pin receiving deck positioned beneath the pin distributing pan and having a plurality of pin holders respectively adjacent said pin delivery positions.

3. A pin distributing mechanism as defined in claim 1 including, a conveyor positioned to deliver pins successively base first one at a time to said pan with the pin heads positioned for engagement by said pin positioner.

4. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a frame, a conically shaped pin distributing pan for receiving a bowling pin base down with the head of the pin overhanging the edge of the pan, said pan having a laterally and downwardly directed chute for passing a pin base first therethrough, an upright shaft beneath the pan mounted on the frame for indexing about an upright axis, means securing the pan to the shaft for indexing there with to pass pins one at a time to a plurality of positions anguiarly spaced about the shaft, an upright pin aligning guide on the edge of the pan opposite said chute engageable by the head of a pin in the pan to align the pin with the chute, a pin positioner arm rotatable on the shaft and having an upper end disposed closely adiacent the pan and projecting upwardly above the pan, said upper arm end being engageable with the head of a pin in the pan to turn the pin in the pan to en age the head of the pin with the guide thereby to align the pin to pass through the chute, means for indexing the pan, and means for rotating said arm.

5. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a frame, a pin distributing pan having a size and shape for receiving a bowling pin base down with the cad of the pin overhanging the edge of the pan, said pan having a chute for passing a pin base first therethrough, means mounting the pan on the frame for indexing about an upright axis to pass pins one at a time to a plurality of positions angularly spaced about said axis, a pin aligning guide on the edge of the pan opposite said chute positioned for contact by the head of a pin in the pan to align the pin with the chute, and a pin positioner arm rotatable around the pan and terminating in a resiliently yieldable end portion disposed for contact with the head of a pin in the pan to turn the pin in the pan to engage the head of the pin with the aligning guide thereby to align the pin to pass through the chute, whereupon said end portion may yield.

6. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a frame, a pin distributor pan having a size and shape for holding only one pin at a time, said distributor pan being indexable on the frame about an upright axis and having an opening for passing bowling pins one at a time to pin positions spaced around said axis, and a pin positioner movable on the frame relative to the distributor pan and positioned to engage a pin in the distributor pan to position the pin to pass through the opening.

7. A pin distributing mechanism comprising, a frame, a pin distributing pan having a size and shape for hold ing only one pin at a time, said pan being indexa'ole on the frame about an upright axis and having a laterally facing opening for passing bowling pins one at a time to pin discharge positions spaced around said axis, a pin aligning guide on the pan positioned for contact by a pin in the pan to align the pin with said opening, and a pin positioner rotatable about said axis independently of the pan and positioned to engage a pin in the pan to turn the pin to a position to pass through the opening.

8. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a frame, a pin distributor indexable on the frame about an upright axis, having a size and shape for supporting a bowling pin in a position disposed generally radially relative to said axis, and having an opening for passing bowling pins one at a time endwise to pin positions spaced around said axis, and a pin positioner movable on the frame in a path around the distributor above the level of the distributor and positioned to engage a radially outer portion of a pin in the distributor to turn the pin in the distributor about a radially inner portion thereof thereby to position the pin to pass through the opening.

9. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a frame, a pin distributing pan indexable on the frame about an upright axis, having a size and shape for holding a bowling pin disposed generally radially of said axis, and having a laterally facing opening for passing bowling pins one at a time to pin discharge positions spaced around said axis, a pin aligning guide on the pan positioned for contact by a pin in the pan to align the pin with said opening, and a pin positioner movable in an arcuate path about said axis independently of the pan and positioned to engage a radially outer" portion of a pin in the pan to turn the pin about a radially inner portion thereof thereby to engage the guide and position the pin to pass through the opening.

10. A pin distributing mechanism comprising, a circular pin distributing pan having a size and shape for holding only one pin at a time, generally radially disposed in the pan, base down with the head of the pin overhanging the edge of the pan, said pan being indexable about an upright, axis and having a downwardly directed chute for passing pins base first one at a time to a plurality of pin discharge positions spaced around said axis, and a pin positioner movable in a circular path around the pan relative thereto and positioned to engage the head of a pin in the pan thereby to turn the pin in the pan and align the base of the pin with the chute to pass therethrough.

11. A pin distributing mechanism, comprising, a generally circular pin distributing pan having a size and shape providing capacity for receiving only one bowling pin at a time, base down with the head of the pin overhanging the edge of the pan, said pan having a laterally and downwardly directed chute for passing a pin base first therethrough, means mounting the pan for indexing about an upright axis to deliver pins successively to a plurality of positions spaced around said axis, a pin aligning stop on the pan adjacent the perimeter thereof on the opposite side of said axis from said chute and positioned for contact by the head of a pin in the pan to align the pin base with the chute, and a pin positioner rotatable about said axis independently of the pan and positioned to engage the head of a pin in the pan to turn the pin in the pan to position the pin head against said step thereby to align the pin to pass through the chute.

12. A pin handling apparatus, comprising; a conveyor mechanism stationarily supported at a predetermined level including a generally horizontally disposed conveyor for conveying pins successively from a pin receiving place to a pin discharge station; a pin distributing mechanism for receiving successive pins from the conveyor and passing the pins in the order received to pin positions below the mechanism including a pin distributor having a size and shape for accepting only one pin at a time, having an upper end at said discharge station at approximately the level of said conveyor for receiving pins one at a time from the conveyor, having a down- Wardly and laterally directed chute for passing pins one at a time, and having a vertical extent no greater than approximately the height of a pin, means for positioning a pin to pass through the chute, and means'mounting the distributor for indexing about an upright axis therethrough to deliver pins respectively to a plurality of positions spaced around said axis; and a pin receiving deck structure disposed beneath the distributor and having a lower extremity spaced from the distributor by a distance no greater than approximately the height of a pin, having a pluraiity of pin receiving stations respectively at said positions for receiving pins from the distributor, having guide means for directing pins from said positions to said stations, and having means for releasably holding pins at the pin receiving stations.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,203,216 McFarland Oct. 31, 1916 1,590,124 Roble June 22, 1926 2,672,341 Flint Mar. 16, 1954 2,723,123 i-iedenskoog et al. Nov. 8, 1955 

